Bold Horizons - Etzion Foundation

BOLD HORIZONS YESHIVAT HAR ETZION 50 th ANNIVERSARY CAPITAL CAMPAIGN

OUR MISSION To facilitate growth of the new generation of Jewish leaders who are immersed in Torah and engaged with the world

“We strive to attain a balance between significant intellectual rigor alongside personal sensitivity, giving students a sense of the centrality of Torah while appreciating the world beyond it, focusing on their own development while developing accountability to community.”

– HaRav Aharon Lichtenstein z”l “It is a great, historical privilege to be a Rosh Yeshiva whose students defend the Jewish people and then return to study – this hasn’t happened since Rabbi Akiva!”

– HaRav Yehuda Amital z”l

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BOLD HORIZONS Since its founding in 1968, Yeshivat Har Etzion and the Etzion institutions - often referred to as Gush - have revolutionized the international landscape of Jewish education. Over the years, Gush has trailblazed innovative initiatives that have transformed the Modern Orthodox communities, establishing itself as a leader in Jewish education in Israel and worldwide.

As we mark the 50th anniversary of Yeshivat Har Etzion and the 20th anniversary of the Stella K. Abraham Beit Midrash for Women, also known as Migdal Oz, we celebrate Gush’s groundbreaking accomplishments with an eye to the future.

To continue blazing a path of educational innovation and opportunity in the Jewish world, and to continue to shape the next generation of Jewish leaders seeking to study Torah at the highest level, the Etzion institutions are embarking on a campaign to revolutionize the world of advanced Torah study and serve as a bastion of balance in an increasingly fragmented Jewish world.

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PIONEERING PHILOSOPHY Gush is, first and foremost, a place of serious, intensive Talmudic and Torah study. Its goal, however, is not only for students to master Jewish learning, but to develop their spiritual, religious, Zionist and moral identities and become empathetic, well-rounded and compassionate Jews who engage deeply with the contemporary world while maintaining a strict adherence to Torah and its values. The equal commitment to both Torah learning and spiritual development sets Gush above other schools that might excel in academics or in fostering the moral and spiritual development of its students, but rarely both at once.

MILESTONES: Founding of Yeshivat Har Etzion.

Following his experiences surviving the Holocaust, Rav Amital z”l emigrated to Israel in 1944. After learning in yeshiva and serving in the Hagana armored corps, Rav Amital became a dominant public figure and assumed leadership of the brand-new Yeshivat Har Etzion.

The Yeshiva moved to, and founded, Alon Shevut, originally housed in a few small buildings, adjacent to the current campus.

1968

1970

Nov.1968

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Students began learning Torah in Kfar Etzion. The Hesder yeshiva model is advanced by Yeshivat Har Etzion, one of the first Hesder yeshivas, enabling young men to pursue serious Talmudic study and Torah learning while fulfilling their commitment to national army service in the Israel Defense Forces.

Michlelet Herzog was founded under the leadership of Rav Amital z”l and Rav Lichtenstein z”l, revolutionizing the field of Tanakh study by educating teachers with a focus on intensive Tanach and Torah she’bea’al peh study, which had long taken a back seat to serious Talmudic study.

1973

1971 Rav Aharon Lichtenstein z”l, one of the world’s leading Torah scholars, joins the yeshiva, helping shape the institution and a revolutionary hashkafa that combines the highest levels of Torah learning and proactive engagement with the world.

This unique philosophy positions Gush to produce leaders with the ability to successfully engage with greater society and maintain a deep and abiding faith in the Torah, preparing them to effectively address thorny contemporary challenges.

Founding of The Israel Koschitzky Virtual Beit Midrash, with over 65,000 Torah shiurim from Gush staff and alumni, in print and podcasts.

The Advanced Talmud Program for Women at Migdal Oz engages an elite group of young women in an intensive program of Talmud study, producing leaders and role models for young Jewish women worldwide.

1994

2012

1982

1997

Establishment of the Marcos and Adina Katz Library, housing 100,000 volumes including over 10,000 antique and rare volumes endowed from the remnants of the Holocaust.

It is the only yeshiva library to participate in the Forum of Judaica Librarians and a member of the Union Library of Israel.

Stella K. Abraham Beit Midrash for Women, better known as Migdal Oz, established as a direct response to the increasing number of Jewish women who desired rigorous Torah study at the highest level and a framework for strengthening their ethical and spiritual character.

2018 Bold Horizons 50th Anniversary Capital Campaign launched to expand the capacity and qualitative edge of Yeshivat Har Etzion and Migdal Oz to meet current and future needs.

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AGENTS OF IMPACT Gush has trained a cadre of dynamic men and women who have taken the mission and ideals of the yeshiva and perpetuated them, positively impacting the Modern Orthodox world. These leaders serve as powerful and effective models and voices of moderation in a religious community that has grown increasingly fractured and polarized. When tensions tear the fabric of the Jewish world, Gush produces the leaders who provide a moderating and unifying voice.

Har Etzion bogrim and Migdal Oz bogrot hold critical roles in the Jewish community and greater society - including roshei yeshiva of leading Jewish educational institutions, scholars, politicians and philosophers. These alumni are among the thousands of men and women who are living examples of Gush’s reputation for rigor, excellence, and complexity of thought through their adherence to Halacha, broadminded thinking, and visionary leadership.

8,000+ Graduates

100 IDF soldiers

Hundreds of rabbinic educators worldwide

contributing to the prosperity and growth of Israel

2 Knesset Members Speaker of the Knesset

Director of the Israeli President’s Residence

Mayor of Gush Etzion

2 Israeli Supreme Court justices

US President’s Special Rep for International Negotiations

Deputy Consul for Israel in Shanghai

Economic Attaché in Beijing

Leading CEOs, professors & researchers

65,000 shiurim of Gush rabbanim and talmidim and 350 sefarim published by the yeshiva in the Israel Koschitzky Virtual Beit Midrash

20 graduating scholars of the new Advance Talmud program at Migdal Oz. 10 current students.

60+ weekly classes in Tanach, Mussar, Halacha and Machashava through Revava: The Riva Koschitzky Torah Enrichment Program

7,000 participants each year in the annual Summer Tanach Study Days

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20% make aliyah

6,537 Yeshivat Har Etzion 1,800 Migdal Oz

each year, including overseas lone soldiers

on six continents

“Like many other rabbanim throughout the world, I have been enormously influenced and my rabbanut has been shaped by the teachings and examples of Rav Aharon... In truth, throughout the Jewish world today, he has an enormous impact through so many rabbanim and mechanchim who are sharing his Torah and reflecting his ways in their kehillot.”

The Dr. William Major Overseas Program of Gush

Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis, 1976

Chief Rabbi, United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth

“Gush provides an environment conducive to fertile intellectual activity in which a maturing, impressionable teenager can grow and develop. After my year in Gush, I understood more clearly than ever before that my purpose in life is to be an eved Hashem, with all the complexity, dialectical tension, nuance, subtlety, responsibility and passion that that entails. This aspiration led me to change my original life plan. And it is this aspiration that continues to drive me today.”

Rabbi Dr. Ari Berman, 1987

President, Yeshiva University Speaking at The Gush Dinner, 2010

“More than any specific part of Torah that I learned, the environment in Migdal Oz where avodat Hashem is explicitly discussed taught me the most: one’s relationship with Hashem is real, rife with potential, and requires constant care and attention. This critical and sometimes overlooked concept has guided the various roles I play as a spouse, parent, educator and Yoetzet Halacha.”

Tova Warburg Sinensky, 1999 (MO) Yoetzet Initiative of Greater Philadelphia & South Jersey, Young Israel of Toco Hills, Riverdale Jewish Center Reflection Coach, Kohelet Yeshiva

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PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS • NEW AMITAL CENTER FOR JEWISH STUDY & LEADERSHIP // PAGE 10 • BEIT MIDRASH RENOVATIONS // PAGE 12 • DINING HALL & KITCHEN RENOVATIONS // PAGE 13 • DORM RENOVATIONS & CONSTRUCTION // PAGE 13 • MIGDAL OZ DORMS & OTHER PROJECTS // PAGE 14

AMITAL CENTER FOR JEWISH STUDY & LEADERSHIP

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DORMS

BEIT MIDRASH

DINING HALL & KITCHEN

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THE AMITAL CENTER FOR JEWISH STUDY & LEADERSHIP This tribute to the life and legacy of Rav Yehuda Amital z”l will be a center for intellectual discourse and mutual understanding.

The 11,000 ft2 building includes: • 11 state-of-the-art classrooms of varying size to accommodate intimate seminars and large lectures • Modular, theater-style auditorium seating 160 • Conference & Administrative Rooms • Legacy Space in tribute to Rav Amital z”l • Legacy Entrance Hall • Student Lobby/Club Space • Computer Lab SECOND FLOOR

LEGACY SPACE IN TRIBUTE TO RAV AMITAL Z”L GROUND FLOOR

LEGACY SPACE IN TRIBUTE TO RAV AMITAL Z”L

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AUDITORIUM

LEGACY LOBBY

STUDENT LOBBY

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THE BEIT MIDRASH

current

RENOVATION & RENEWAL planned

The Beit Midrash is the physical, spiritual and intellectual center of Yeshivat Har Etzion, a powerhouse from which the Torah of HaRav Lichtenstein and HaRav Amital continues to reach out to the world.

Hundreds of young men study here daily, absorbing the knowledge and values with which they will lead Jewish communities worldwide.

Renovations to the 18,000 square foot building housing the Beit Midrash (5,400 square feet) will update the sacred space while preserving its dignified glory.

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• Aron Kodesh Treatment and restoration of wood coating of the Aron Kodesh • New Ergonomic Chairs and Tables With an added front cubicle for book storage • Exterior Windows and Frames Upgrade to tinted windows to eliminate the need for curtains and improve the look of the windows.

• Beit Midrash Flooring Repairs • Beit Midrash Terraces The two terraces require resealing, treatment of the expanded external Beit Midrash walls, with internal and external touch-ups.

• Modern, Energy-Efficient Lighting • Restoration of Wood Paneling in Beit Midrash • Entrance Stairwell Ceiling Enlarge the entrance at the end of the stairs and renew wood paneling.

• Redesign Ezrat Nashim (1,200 square foot space) Dismantle and replace front section with tempered glass and repair air conditioning system.

• External Paneling for Western Stairwell Leading to Ezrat Nashim • 6,200 ft2 of classroom space

FORM AND FUNCTION DORMS, DINING AREA, & SECURITY current

DORMITORIES

For our overseas students, especially those serving in the IDF, Gush Etzion’s dorms are their home. We are planning a new wing of modern dormitories and renovations to existing rooms across 17 buildings, including 23 new units and updates to 69 existing units at Yeshivat Har Etzion. These improvements will be made for students in all years of study, along with family rooms for older, married students and updated hospitality rooms for yeshiva guests. The proposed plans will turn each room into an apartment with an entrance, living room, small kitchenette, and four bedrooms.

Construction and renovation to over 130,000 ft2 of dorm apartments across campus will include: • The addition of entrance lobbies • A small kitchenette and communal lounge area • New lobby windows & furnishings

DINING ROOM AND KITCHEN

Renovate 17,000 square foot space with new ceiling, featuring improved acoustics, pleasant lighting, side cornices, air conditioning, and fire safety fixtures.

• Enhanced Entrance • Outdoor Patio and Event Space • Renovated Hand Washing Station • New Flooring • New, modern kitchen equipment

planned

Student Lounge Area

Renovated Dorm Room

Renovated Dining Room

Outdoor Patio

SECURITY

Located in the Gush Etzion region, Yeshivat Har Etzion requires a high level of security, in which the yeshiva has invested significantly. To keep the system current, the school must create a technological defense system to protect entryways and the perimeter of the campus.

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MIGDAL OZ

The Stella K. Abraham Beit Midrash for Women

EXPANDING TO MEET THE NEED current

DORMITORIES

planned

New Dorm Room

Dormitories provide our overseas students with their first home in Israel. Because of the school’s rapid growth, rooms that were built to house three students are currently housing five. Building above one-story dormitories will double Midgal Oz’s student living space and greatly alleviate crowding. Extension of dormitories will add 36 beds and better the living conditions for our students.

CLASSROOMS

New Classroom

Educators and students interact closely, exchanging ideas in Migdal Oz’s classrooms. Migdal Oz currently hosts classes in four rooms and shares space with Herzog College, providing 2-3 additional rooms. To provide space for the full array of classes and chugim, Migdal Oz plans on adding four additional classrooms.

OFFICES & CONFERENCE ROOM

Currently, the school has half the office space it needs, leaving several staff members without offices. Additional office space will provide space for private counseling/meetings with students, which currently is not possible.

New Conference Room

INFORMAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS

Create aesthetic enhancements to expansive patio, garden area and club room.

• PATIO ABOVE DINING ROOM (Outside Beit Midrash) 2,400 square feet, wooden pergola, seating area • OUTDOOR INFORMAL LEARNING SPACE Scenic exterior classroom, providing space for informal learning • CLUB ROOM AND GARDEN AREA Picturesque area for students and faculty to socialize and recharge between classes

Patio above Dining Room

SECURITY

Located in the Gush Etzion region, Migdal Oz requires a high level of security, in which the yeshiva has invested significantly.

Upgrades are required to address current security challenges.

The school seeks to install two advanced central security posts at strategic points, equipped with current camera and radar technology to ensure the safety of its students.

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Outdoor Informal Learning Space

THE NEW FRONTIER THE NEXT GENERATION IS WAITING Yeshivat Har Etzion’s envisions leading the global Modern Orthodox community in navigating the challenges of the 21st century. As proud upholders of traditional Torah Judaism and fierce proponents of worldly engagement, the Har Etzion institutions are uniquely poised to face these challenges. Our vision for this next chapter is to reach out to new populations in Israel and abroad with the distinctive Gush brand of scholarly excellence combined with a moderate worldview.

Our plans include upgrading existing facilities and programs, and creating new programs to serve diverse groups such as overseas rabbinical students, young people from Israel’s periphery, discharged soldiers, special needs and high school students, synagogue groups and even secular and haredi Jews. Expanding and disseminating our publications and upgrading Gush’s presence on the web will further enable the institution’s global reach. To achieve these goals – as well as meet the physical, academic and social needs of current students and continue to attract the highest-caliber students, the buildings and facilities of Gush, still impressive in their design, must be renovated and expanded.

The 50th Year Bold Horizons Campaign will support the renovation of the architectural mainstays of the Gush landscape, enable the construction of dormitories to house the expanded student body, and launch the Amital Center for Jewish Study & Leadership, which will initiate and host special programming celebrating the vision of HaRav Amital z”l.

Migdal Oz, the premier center for advanced women’s Torah study, has almost doubled since its founding 20 years ago, and the school has plans to increase its Shana Aleph, Bet, Gimmel and Advanced Scholars programs with over 50% enrollment growth in the coming years. To accommodate this growth, Migdal Oz must expand its facilities, including classrooms and dormitories.

Migdal Oz is making plans to reach out to the wider community, including high school students, alumnae, professional women, young families and disadvantaged students and hopes to establish a family center that will offer marital and religious counseling in the spirit of Modern Orthodoxy.

We believe that our message is more relevant than ever in today’s fragmented world. With your help, we can share the vision of Jewish life in which Torah learning and values are commensurate with moderation, decency and respect for others.

Help equip Yeshivat Har Etzion and Migdal Oz with the facilities and resources to continue as the premier institutions serving as a groundbreaking model of educational innovation and leadership. The Bold Horizons Campaign, marking the occasion of Yeshivat Har Etzion’s 50th anniversary and Migdal Oz’s 20th anniversary, will blaze the path of leadership for the next 50 years.

Join us as we forge new

BOLD HORIZONS

Thank you for your friendship and support.

IMMERSED IN TORAH • ENGAGED WITH THE WORLD

Etzion Foundation Bold Horizons Campaign 111 Galway Pl #203, Teaneck, NJ 07666, USA Yoel@haretzion.org | +1 (646) 238-7098